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Shoppach excited to face hometown team

Shoppach excited to face hometown team

ST. PETERSBURG -- Kelly Shoppach attended Brewer High School in White Settlement, Texas, near Dallas, so he grew up a Texas Rangers fan, which adds to the excitement of the Rangers-Rays matchup.

"It's awesome, I mean what an experience," Shoppach said.

Shoppach had many favorites on the Rangers, rattling off the names of Rusty Greer, Jeff Frye, Juan Gonzalez, John Wetteland and Pudge Rodriguez.

"Now that Michael Young's been there for what seems like forever, and he finally gets a chance to play in the postseason, I'm very glad for him," Shoppach said. "I was a fan of his before I even got to pro ball."

The Rays catcher managed to find some irony in the fact he is playing against the team he once followed.

"Ever since I was a little kid, I was rooting for these guys to get to the [World Series]," said Shoppach, noting they never made it to the Fall Classic. "And now that I'm in the playoffs against them, I want to see that streak continue."